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The ACC’s ranked teams dominated in their Week 2 matchups, keeping their spots in the Associated Press Top 25 more than secure.
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Granted, the wins all came against lower-level programs, but nine other ranked teams played non-Power Four teams. The ACC’s schedule was not abnormal.
Miami entered the week ranked at No. 7. SMU landed at No. 17. Then, Louisville and Virginia rounded out the Week 1 poll at No. 24 and 25, respectively. They’re expected to remain at, or around, after Oregon and Oklahoma were the two ranked teams to lose this week.
The Hurricanes, Cardinals and Cavaliers all played Friday night, while the Mustangs took the field Saturday.
Here’s what led to the ACC’s strong showing.
No. 7 Miami (2-0) defeated Florida A&M (1-2) in a 77-7 blowout and gained a program record 856 yards. It also tied the school record for points in a single game.
Quarterback Darian Mensah and backup Luke Nickel threw three touchdown passes each. Mensah reached 252 passing yards, while Nickel was six yards shy of 150. The Hurricanes also used Dereon Coleman, who took six pass attempts and completed five.
Javian Mallory and Mark Fletcher both surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark and punched in a pair of touchdowns.
The Miami defense, as if the score wasn’t already proof, held the Rattlers to four first downs and 107 total yards. FAMU went 1 for 14 on third down, while Miami only reached third down three times.
No. 25 Virginia (2-0) won its second game of the season in a 59-3 blowout over Norfolk State (1-2).
Quarterback Beau Pribula completed 12of 14 passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns, all of which came in the first quarter.
The Spartans — led by former Virginia Tech Hokie and retired NFL QB Michael Vick — were far more prepared for Pribula’s run game than N.C. State was two weeks ago. The Missouri transfer finished with -8 rushing yards and only had two carries.
Brandyn Hillman and Justin Rowe combined for a trio of interceptions, including Rowe’s pick six in the fourth quarter. It also got leading linebacker Kam Robinson back. He contributed five tackles.
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No. 24 Louisville (1-1) picked up its first win of the season after a tough Week 1 loss to Ole Miss. It bounced back with a 59-13 victory over Villanova (1-2).
The Cardinals scored at least 14 points in every quarter, with quarterback Lincoln Kienholz responsible for four touchdowns; two passing and two rushing.
Kienholz threw for 332 yards and rushed for 42. Running back Marquise Davis added a pair of two rushing TDs to lead the run game.
Like its fellow ACC members — ranked or not — the Cardinals racked up the yards. They finished with 635 yards and held the Wildcats to 253 yards.
No. 17 SMU (2-0) closed the week with a 56-10 win over UC Davis (2-1) at home behind Kevin Jennings’ career-high outing.
The QB threw for 337 yards and a career-best five touchdowns in the victory against the FCS opponent. The Mustangs got out to a hot start, led by Jennings’ efforts, and led the Aggies 42-0 at halftime.
UC Davis finally got on the board in the fourth quarter after SMU pulled most of its starters, finding the end zone on a four-yard completion and making a field goal.
The Mustangs held Aggies starting quarterback Treynor Cleeland to 83 yards and one interception. Meanwhile, SMU’s run game defense shut down UC Davis’ rushing efforts. Its three leading rushers were held to 19 yards each.
Other notable results
Duke (2-0) upset Illinois (1-1) on the road in a 31-27 victory. Walker Eget threw for 208 yards, while Nate Sheppard continued his solid start with a 147-yard rushing performance.
Wake Forest (2-0) won a double overtime thriller, 38-36, over Purdue (1-1) with a balanced attack. Gio Lopez threw for 225 yards and one touchdown, while running for 59 yards and two scores. The defense recorded three sacks in the win.
Boston College (1-1) will not be ranked after its 28-21 win, but it’s a little funny to see Rutgers (0-2) lose to two of the worst teams in the country on back-to-back weeks. The ACC doesn’t always get to claim wins over the Big Ten — especially in the same week — so it’s OK to celebrate it.
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 10:00 AM.